Buffet Crampon USA Expands Tuba Showroom B uffet Crampon USA has announced a new partnership with Baltimore Brass Company in Catonsville, Maryland, to expand
MARTIN ANNOUNCES BOARD APPOINTMENT, EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP CHANGES C .F. Martin & Co. to- day announced the
its USA Tuba Showroom, providing professional tubas from B&S, Meinl Weston and Besson. The USA Tuba Showroom opened in 2022 in Jack- sonville, Florida, at Buffet Crampon USA headquarters and has proved to be a resource for musicians searching for their next professional tuba. Until
appointment of Blaine Phillips to its board of directors and the addition of Matthew Kennedy to its executive leadership team (ELT). Phillips is a business
Matthew Kennedy
Blaine Phillips
now, these instruments were only available through the Jacksonville showroom. This new partnership provides a secondary location and resource where tuba players around the country can access and pur- chase the instruments they need. “We’re appreciative of all the support the Tuba Showroom has re- ceived and proud to be able to partner with Baltimore Brass to make it even easier for musicians to find their tubas,” Warren Kus, USA Tuba Showroom manager. {buffetcrampongroup.com; tubashowroom.com}
leader with more than 40 years of experience building and growing a family-owned company. Phillips currently serves as president of Phillips & Phillips, a commercial real estate holding company, and CEO of Phillips Pet Food & Supplies, one of the largest national distributors of pet food and supplies. Over the course of his career, he has transformed a small fam- ily feed store into a nationwide organization with more than 900 employees, a network of distribution centers across the U.S., and partnerships with over 12,000 retail locations and 300 vendors. “Blaine is from Nazareth, the third generation in his family business that evolved from farm animal feed to pet food. He has grown his family business in a challenging and evolving market successfully,” said Chris Martin IV, Martin’s chairman of the board. C.F. Martin & Co. has announced that Matthew Kennedy has been named an officer of the company and appointed to the executive leadership team. He currently serves as director of custom shop sales administration and support. “It’s an honor to take on this role, and I’m committed to preserving and building upon Martin Guitar’s values and his- tory — celebrating our artistry and craftspeople, inspiring musicians, and guiding purposeful growth for generations,” Kennedy said. {martinguitar.com} NICK RAIL MUSIC PROMOTES HARRISON KIRK TO GENERAL MANAGER N ick Rail Music has announced Har- rison Kirk has been promoted to
J ohn Packer Musical Instruments has announced the acquisition of Richard Smith Musical Instruments, the company behind the Smith-Watkins brand. The acquisition is the latest chapter in a longstanding relationship between JP Musical Instruments and Richard Smith Musical Instruments stretching back to 2008, when the companies first collaborated to create the JP Smith- Watkins range of trumpets and cornets. Smith-Watkins now becomes a part of the JP Musical Instru- ments family which includes brands, such as Rath Trombones, Taylor Trumpets, Sterling Musical Instruments and Rudall Carte Woodwinds. Smith-Watkins instruments will continue to be manufactured at its facility near York, U.K. Alongside Rath Trombones in Yorkshire and Taylor Trumpets in Norfolk, the acquisition further strengthens U.K. brass instrument manufacturing. Richard Smith Musical Instruments has a global reputation for producing world-class brass instruments hand-made in the U.K. and performed in diverse settings from jazz and chamber music to big band, orchestra and studio recordings. Smith-Watkins instru- ments can be found in many of the leading military bands in the U.K. and beyond, including bands belonging to the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force. {jpmusicalinstruments.com} John Packer Musical Instruments Acquires Smith-Watkins Richard Wright, instrument technician, with Dr. Richard Smith, founder of Richard Smith Musical Instruments..
general manager of Nick Rail Music. Kirk began his Nick Rail Music career in 2014 as a sales associate and quickly worked his way through the ranks as store manager, director of school ser- vices, director of operations, and now general manager.
Harrison Kirk
According to store owner Laura Penrose, Kirk’s “ex- emplary work through the pandemic and his progressive initiatives in all departments” have continued to advance the Santa Barbara-based retailer to the forefront of school music retailing. {nickrailmusic.com}
20 I MUSIC INC. I JUNE 2026
Powered by FlippingBook